Apple removed iGBA game emulator from App Store | InsideTechWorld posted on the topic | LinkedIn (2024)

(EN)Apple-Approved iPhone Emulator Pulled Amid Copyright Violation ConcernsA recent development in the world of iPhone apps saw the arrival and subsequent removal of the first Game Boy Advance emulator approved by Apple. Known as iGBA, the emulator allowed users to play Game Boy Advance games on their iPhones. However, its presence on the App Store was short-lived, as it was swiftly pulled by Apple for violating copyright and spam rules, as reported by MacRumors.Developer Riley Testut, creator of the open-source emulator GBA4iOS, revealed that iGBA appeared to be an unauthorized clone of his work. Testut's app operates under the GNU GPLv2 license, raising questions about iGBA's compliance with licensing terms. Apple's decision to remove iGBA was in line with its App Review Guidelines, particularly section 5.2 concerning intellectual property.Testut expressed disappointment with Apple's approval of iGBA, stating his ongoing collaboration with the company to release AltStore as an alternative app marketplace. Despite the setback, Testut remains committed to launching Delta, AltStore's flagship app.In response, iGBA developer Mattia La Spina acknowledged the controversy, expressing regret over the app's repercussions. La Spina indicated reaching out to Testut to address the situation.Apart from copyright concerns, iGBA's App Store listing raised privacy issues, indicating data collection practices that could compromise user anonymity. Additionally, another emulator, Emu64 XL, faced scrutiny for its extensive tracker permissions.The incident underscores Apple's strict control over the App Store and the evolving landscape of app regulation. While recent legal developments may force Apple to make concessions, the emergence of emulators on the platform signals a new era, despite initial setbacks.#Apple #iPhone #Emulator #AppStore #iGBA #CopyrightViolation #GBA4iOS #GNU #AppReviewGuidelines #AltStore #Delta #Privacy #DataCollection #AppRegulation #DigitalMarketsAct #USDOJ #Emulation #GameBoyAdvance #MobileGaming

Apple removes Game Boy emulator from App Store due to violations, but clarifies that game emulators are permitted - https://lnkd.in/dnucebnW Apple has removed iGBA, a Game Boy emulator app for iPhone, after approving its release over the weekend.The app was one of the first to take advantage of Apple's recently relaxed rules on retro game emulators, a move the tech giant took after EU regulators forced Apple to open up to App Store competitors. like AltStore, which aims to offer game emulators and other Patreons. supported apps for iPhone users.First released on Sunday, iGBA was an ad-supported copy of the open-source GBA4iOS project that offered a Game Boy game emulator for iOS.The new app worked as described, allowing users to download the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color ROMs from the web and then open them in the app to play.However, the app was submitted to the App Store without the permission of GBA4iOS developer Riley Testut, who also developed AltStore and Delta, a Nintendo emulator and popular successor to GBA4iOS.Testut said in a Threads post on Sunday that he was angry at Apple for approving iGBA while his own Delta app, currently in Apple's TestFlight, was ready to launch as of March 5. He also wasn't thrilled that his work was being canceled and monetized like this."I didn't give anyone permission to do this, but now it's at the top of the charts (despite being full of ads and tracking)," Testut said on Threads. “I've bitten my tongue a lot over the last month... but this is frustrating me. “I’m so glad App Review exists to protect consumers from scams and theft like this,” he added sarcastically.As some pointed out, the knockoff version used the same code as GBA4iOS. But, as others pointed out, the GBA4iOS emulator was distributed under a GNU GPL v2 license, which should otherwise have allowed copies, except for the fact that Testut added a custom restriction to it prohibiting distribution on the App Store of any work. that contained the code. They argued that such a restriction was not technically permitted under GPL v2.However, Apple determined that the copycat app should be removed for violating the App Store's spam and copyright guidelines (rules 4.3 and 5.2, respectively), essentially siding with Testut in the matter, despite its mistake. former.Apple told TechCrunch that the app's functionality was approved, but when the company learned that the app was copying another developer's submission and passing it off as its own, it took action according to its guidelines.The Cupertino-based tech giant has been forced to make the App Store more open thanks to the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA). Following an update to its App Store rules to comply with the new regulation, Apple announced that it would also allow streaming of game stores globally. But additional support for retro game emulators wasn't added until ...

The initial Apple-endorsed emulator for iPhone launched and subsequently removed - https://lnkd.in/ds84czp3 I played Game Boy Advance games on my iPhone last night thanks to a new emulator called iGBA, which appears to be the first Game Boy Advance emulator on the App Store since Apple started allowing emulators worldwide. The only problem is that it doesn't look like GBA is the work of developer Mattia La Spina himself. Something confirmed by Apple after it removed the app for violating its copyright and spam rules, according to MacRumors.According to MacRumor's Joe Rossignol, who spoke to Apple, the company removed it for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam and copyright. Here is the clause (section 5.2) related to intellectual property:Make sure your app only includes content that you created or have a license to use. Your app can be removed if you crossed the line and used content without permission. Of course, this also means that someone else's app can be deleted if you have "borrowed" their work.Before the app was taken down, Testut said he was frustrated with Apple, not La Spina.Testut also provided this statement to The Verge:I've been working with Apple to launch AltStore as an alternative app marketplace for over a month now, and I'm disappointed to see that they approved a knockoff of AltStore's flagship app, Delta, in that time. However, we are still planning to launch Delta as soon as possible and will have more to share on that very soon.Here are some screenshots of GBA4iOS and iGBA for comparison, starting with iGBA.When contacted for comment, La Spina did not explicitly confirm the use of Testut's code but told The Verge that "they didn't think the app would have that much of an impact, I'm very sorry," adding that they contacted Testut for email.The other problem with iGBA is that, according to its listing on the App Store, it collects data that can be used to identify you, such as location data and identifiers. I would suggest reading developer Mattia La Spina's Github-hosted privacy policy before diving in. However, the app didn't ask for location data permission when I loaded it and I didn't see in-app browser tracker consent on any Reddit. Users reported seeing.I know another emulator, discovered by Parker Orlotani of The Verge. It is a Commodore 64 emulator called Emu64 XL. Here I saw a consent request form full of options for what seemed like miles of trackers. I did not try to find or play any Commodore 64 games with Emu64 XL and deleted the application.Apple has tightly controlled the App Store since its inception. That control is now being broken, with the EU Digital Markets Law forcing the company to allow other app stores and downloading on the iPhone. The company is also facing a lawsuit from the US Department of Justice that could force it to make similar concessions, which is why the company ...

Apple updated its App Store rules Friday to allow emulators for retro console games globallywith an option for downloading titles. However, the company warned that the developers are responsible for making sure that they follow copyright rules. Android users can already access a ton of emulators to play old classics on their devices. Apple’s update […] https://lnkd.in/gurMRvk5 #Fintech #Africanfintech #TechnologyAndGrowth #MakingAnImpact #SocietalChanges #TheFutureIsHere #AdvancementInTechnology #entrepreneur #FintechNews #FintechSolutions #business #GlobalTrade #ConnectingGreenTalent #bigdata #innovation #artificialIntelligence

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Discord has terminated the servers for the 🎮 Nintendo Switch emulators Suyu and Sudachi, and also deactivated the accounts of their main developers, without providing a clear explanation for these actions. Both emulators originated as branches from Yuzu, an emulator that Nintendo legally challenged, leading to its discontinuation on March 4th.According to a statement by Discord's director of product communications, Kellyn Slone, to The Verge, "Discord adheres to all legitimate and lawful Digital Millennium Copyright Act demands. In this case, there was a court-mandated injunction for the removal of these materials, and we acted in accordance with that order."The developers behind Suyu and Sudachi were only given broad notifications that they were distributing content purportedly infringing on intellectual property rights, based on images shared with The Verge. Despite this, Discord claims it is merely following standard procedures for handling DMCA requests, though it remains uncertain whether a valid DMCA request was actually made, or if there was genuine infringement of IP rights. There's also a possibility that Discord may not be applying its own rules consistently.It should be noted that Nintendo settled with Yuzu without a trial, which did not transfer rights over Yuzu’s GPL v3 open-source code to Nintendo. Furthermore, the developers of the Yuzu derivatives claimed modifications were made to the code and other measures were taken specifically to avoid legal issues with Nintendo. The controversial code was not hosted on Discord’s platforms.However, it's possible that these servers might have been used to share Nintendo’s secure keys, firmware, or pirated games, despite these safeguards. Ultimately, with the servers now offline, confirming any violation is challenging.To keep reading visit: https://lnkd.in/eYpGhPYg#yuzu #emulation #lawsuit #discord #nintendo #gameindustry #gamelegal

Game Boy Emulator Taken Down: App Store Policy Faces Scrutinyhttps://lnkd.in/ehD-ESup

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Apple Further Explains Why Game Boy Emulator iGBA Was Removed From App Store. It was a copycat version of the open-source GBA4iOS app, with the addition of ads on top and no attribution.#apple #emualtor #gameboy #gba4ios #ios #iphone

In this article learn How to Cast to Firestick from Android quickly and also provides troubleshooting tips if you get stuck.#Firestick #android #technology #techhackshttps://lnkd.in/d7FHXyqB

The victory of Epic Games (Fortnite for the nongamers... :-) ) on Google ..... set a big focus on closed garden SW and transaction distribution fees (today at 30% for Google and Apple stores as a base).... A big change ahead with probably more flexible tariffs and probably a push to separate App Stores from Payments and open to alternative stores.... In EU a clear path has been set by the EU #DigitalMarketAct active from next year which already implies that Apple should allow third-party app stores and billing systems in EU....#DigitalMarketAct #digitalbusinesstransformation https://lnkd.in/deihDXA3

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Makers of Switch emulator Yuzu crushed quickly by Nintendo - Tropic Haze, the popular Yuzu Nintendo Switch emulator developer, appears to have agreed to settle Nintendo’s lawsuit against it. Less than a week after Nintendo filed the legal action, accusing the emulator’s creators of “piracy at a colossal scale,” a joint final judgment and permanent injunction filed Tuesday says Tropic Haze has agreed to pay the Mario maker $2.4 million, along with a long list of concessions.Nintendo’s lawsuit claimed Tropic Haze violated the anti-circumvention and anti-trafficking provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). “Without Yuzu’s decryption of Nintendo’s encryption, unauthorized copies of games could not be played on PCs or Android devices,” the company wrote in its complaint. It described Yuzu as “software primarily designed to circumvent technological measures.”Yuzu launched in 2018 as free, open-source software for Windows, Linux and Android. It could run countless copyrighted Switch games —including console sellers like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey and Super Mario Wonder. Reddit threads comparing Switch emulators praised Yuzu’s performance compared to rivals like Ryujinx. Yuzu introduces various bugs across different titles, but it can typically handle games at higher resolutions than the Switch, often with better frame rates, so long as your hardware is powerful enough.A screenshot from Yuzu’s website, showing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Tropic Haze / Nintendo)As part of an Exhibit A attached to the proposed joint settlement, Tropic Haze agreed to a series of accommodations. In addition to paying Nintendo $2.4 million, it must permanently refrain from “engaging in activities related to offering, marketing, distributing, or trafficking in Yuzu emulator or any similar software that circumvents Nintendo’s technical protection measures.”Tropic Haze must also delete all circumvention devices, tools and Nintendo cryptographic keys used in the emulator and turn over all circumvention devices and modified Nintendo hardware. It even has to surrender the emulator’s web domain (including any variants or successors) to Nintendo. (The website is still live now, perhaps waiting for the judgment’s final a-okay.) Not abiding by the settlement’s agreements could land Tropic Haze in contempt of court, including punitive, coercive and monetary actions.Although piracy is the top motive for many emulator users, the software can double as crucial tools for video game preservation —making rapid legal surrenders like Tropic Haze’s potentially problematic. Without emulators, Nintendo and other copyright holders could make games obsolete for future generations as older hardware eventually becomes more difficult to find.Nintendo’s legal team is, of course, no stranger to aggressively enforcing copyrighted material. In recent ...